


just keep swimming

by kopycat_101



Series: Nathmarc November [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Bisexual Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Dorks, Dorks in Love, Flirting, Fluff, Gay Marc Anciel, Getting Together, M/M, Manga & Anime, Mutual Pining, Talks about Free the anime, Teen Crush, Teenagers, just guys being dudes...talking about shirtless anime bois...and asking each other on a date...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:55:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27350827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kopycat_101/pseuds/kopycat_101
Summary: "I didn’t know you watched Free! You never really talk about it…?”“OfcourseI’d watched Free, Nathaniel. I’m gay, and it’s a show about hot, half-naked teenage boys,” Marc snorts, laughing at the look of shock on the other’s face. “C-C’mon, you watched it too!”The redhead sputters back at him. “I watched it for the plot…!”“Ohhoney,” Marc says, raising a brow pointedly at him. “I’m sure you did.”
Relationships: Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg
Series: Nathmarc November [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1994782
Comments: 18
Kudos: 45





	just keep swimming

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Secretly_indig0](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Secretly_indig0/gifts), [ASingleRaindrop](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ASingleRaindrop/gifts), [lumigo_akvo9504](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lumigo_akvo9504/gifts).



> For Nathmarc Month day 2: Free
> 
> I instantly thought about Free the swimming anime. No, that's not a joke. Yes, this fic is just the boys talking about the anime and flirting with each other.
> 
> This is gifted to the three other fans of Free in the Nathmarc Discord Server.
> 
> Also RIP to anyone that has never watched it or even knows what Free is. I think I explain it enough that you can follow along in the conversation?? If not, just know Marc and Nath are talking about a show with hot half naked boys that have rippling abs.

* * *

Marc and Nathaniel could talk about anything and everything in their free time.

Nathaniel was enthusiastic about his hobbies and what he liked, whether that was art, or superheroes, or anime.

Thankfully enough, a lot of Marc’s own interests and hobbies intersected with his friend-slash-crush. While he didn’t know much about art itself, he could keep up a basic conversation and knew how to praise something. Marc was as big of a comics and superhero nerd as Nathaniel was. And they watched roughly similar anime.

Today, Nathaniel was tapping around on his phone.

“Okay, so like…There’s this one anime I like to watch that’s getting a new movie…” the redhead mumbles, looking up at Marc with a cautious and curious look. “You ever heard of Free? Free: Iwatobi Swim Club?”

Marc blinks back at Nathaniel, leaning back in his seat and feeling a small smile tug on his mouth. “The swimming anime…?”

The other’s sea-blue eyes light up, and he beams back. “Yeah, exactly! I didn’t know you watched Free! You never really talk about it…?”

“Of _course_ I’d watched Free, Nathaniel. I’m gay, and it’s a show about hot, half-naked teenage boys,” Marc snorts, laughing at the look of shock on the other’s face. “C-C’mon, you watched it too!”

The redhead sputters back at him. “I watched it for the plot…!”

“Oh _honey_ ,” Marc says, raising a brow pointedly at him. “I’m sure you did.”

“I did!” the other crows, smacking Marc on the arm, causing him to giggle. “And the characters are great! They’re more than just eye-candy, y’know!”

“They were okay, but I didn’t really get attached to them?” Marc mused, tapping his chin with a hum. “Except Rei. Rei deserved better.”

“Oh, he totally did!” Nathaniel nods enthusiastically. “Poor guy keeps failing and not being good enough, while the others take the spotlight.”

“Rei was my favorite, maybe. Other than Makoto.”

“ _Makoto_ though! Definitely best boy,” the artist grins toothily, voice thick with excitement. “Like, I liked all of the characters. But Makoto was top tier.”

“He was the best-looking of the original main cast with the biggest muscles, too,” Marc points out teasingly.

Nathaniel sputters out a laugh. “Hey…! That’s such a disservice to him! Just—Just because he’s hot doesn’t mean that’s his _entire_ character!”

“But it certainly _helped_ , I’m sure.”

“Listen. Makoto was a gem of a character!” the redhead defends, looking straight into Marc’s eyes as he gushes. “Sure, he’s tall and handsome and has the most gorgeous emerald eyes. But he was also kind and modest, and hard-working. He supports everyone. He loves his family, and they love him back. And he’s _so_ devoted to his best friend, even if he loves Haru as more than friends…Fucking husband of the year, honestly.”

Marc finds his chest clench and his face warm. The things Nathaniel said…well. They also seemed to apply to Marc himself, a little too on the nose.

He has to remind himself that, no, Marc. Snap out of it. Nathaniel is thinking about a fictional character, not _you_ …

“I would’ve thought _you’d_ be the type to enjoy Free for it’s plot and not for the fanservice,” the artist tsks, teasingly wagging a finger in front of the writer’s face.

“Oh, I enjoyed the plot…whatever little of it there was, instead of. Y’know. The _plot_.” Marc tries to wiggle his eyebrows, only to get embarrassed halfway through. But Nathaniel laughs at his awkward attempt anyways.

“Alright, alright, you heathen. Judge me for all I care. I watch the swimming anime for the actual plot, even if my bi ass enjoys the shirtless guys. There, I said it,” the redhead says with a dramatic roll of his eyes. “Do you wanna know about the new film or not?”

“’Course. Go ahead,” Marc offers with a small smile.

“Here, lemme show you the new poster then!”

The redhead turns his phone around, showing Marc as he gushes about the details over the new anime film.

“I didn’t even realize they were making more films about it…” the writer admits with a chuckle after about ten straight minutes of Nathaniel going into the sparse information revealed.

“Huh? It’s been everywhere on the forums and tumblr and stuff!”

“Maybe I don’t follow the same anime blogs as you do,” Marc laughs lightly with a grin. “Honestly, I only watched the first two seasons.”

“You’re a completionist, though, aren’t you?” the artist blinks back at him, confused.

“Correction: I’m a completionist when it comes to a series with actual decent writing. I’ve dropped more shows than I can count.”

The redhead gapes back at him in offense. “You just _abandon_ them?”

“If it’s not compelling enough to keep my attention, or the writing is so bad it detracts from my enjoyment, I drop it and don’t look back,” Marc nods. “Free managed to capture my attention for two seasons, but I barely forced myself to finish the second season.”

“But Free’s so _good_!” Nathaniel pouts back at him, holding his phone close to his chest. “They save their club in the first season. Season two introduced new characters and the cast get development, with Haru and Makoto graduating at the end. The movies added more content to the first two seasons, and season three was all about them going to university! The characters change and grow and move along with their lives. They’re not stuck in high school forever. No one’s really stagnant!”

“I mean, I appreciate the fact that they actually grow up? Since so many anime has the characters stuck for years in the same school, or even grade. Which just shows terrible and bloated pacing.”

“Wow. Really coming for the throat of more than half the anime that exist, huh?”

“If it’s true, it’s true,” Marc shrugs with a laugh. “Anyways, when it comes to Free specifically…Rin constantly steals the spotlight. End of season one, Rin kicks Rei out of the final swim match, and suddenly everyone forgives him for treating them terribly.”

“They’re friends. It’s cheesy, power of friendship, sports anime bullshit,” Nathaniel says, waving his hand about. “Like, yeah, Rei got cheated and I’m pissed. Poor guy became their friend and literally learned to swim for them, and they left him out to dry in the final hour. But season two came along to fix that. So why’d you drop it then…?”

“Well, a solid half of season two feels like it’s just about Rin. He’s made captain of his team—which, fine, he’s a main character, sure. But everyone keeps constantly praising him and propping him up, and all the new characters are brought in literally just to talk him up,” Marc shrugs. “Plus, we go so in-depth into his backstory, when we know so little about any of the characters—even Haru, the main backbone and the protagonist!”

“Oof. You’re not wrong, though.”

“I dunno, I just…don’t really like Rin as a character…He spoiled the show for me.”

Nathaniel stares back at him, a hand on his chin, considering. “You know what? Fair. Rin’s not one of my favorite characters any time soon,” the artist nods sagely, before grinning. And then giggling, leaning over to poke Marc on the shoulder.

“And you said you didn’t watch the swimming anime for the plot or characters,” Nathaniel says teasingly, “When you pretty much just went in-depth about the plot and one of the main characters.”

Marc finds himself blushing. “W-Well, I mean…I’m still a writer. I notice these things,” he mumbles, averting his gaze.

“And that’s valid,” Nathaniel says, poking Marc again in the shoulder. “If you ever wanna re-watch it, or try to get back into it, I can help you.”

“Hm…ogling shirtless and wet anime boys…?” Marc asks innocently, taking a typical thinker’s pose. “At least take me to dinner first.”

He doesn’t realize what he’s said until he watches Nathaniel’s eye go wide and his lips part slightly.

Wait…shit.

“D-Don’t be dramatic,” the redhead huffs, ducking his head, but not before Marc catches how his cheeks flush pink. “I’ll have snacks and soda and stuff, and can probably get us a pizza. I-If you’re free this, uh. This Saturday.”

Holy shit. Holy _shit_. That actually _worked_.

“Th-then it’s a date,” Marc finds himself stuttering out.

Nathaniel looks up at him through his lashes with a little grin, and Marc’s heart does a gymnastics routine.

Already, Marc feels like Free is going to become one of his favorite anime.

* * *


End file.
